To Tame a Wolf
by laurennjenks
Summary: Wolfsbane potion is in it's trial stages. Remus is the Guinea Pig


**A/N: writing for QFFL Round 7**

 **Chaser 1 for the Wigtown Wanderers**

 **Prompts: 5. (picture)**

 **6\. envelope**

 **9\. That was for certain**

...

 _Damocles Rowle to invent Werewolf cure._

The headline stood out in bold letters on the front page of the Daily Prophet.

Lily gasped and nudged Remus excitedly.

"Remus! Look!"

Remus peered over Lily's shoulder to read the article that she was excitedly pointing at.

"Just think! No more painful transformations every month!"

"Lily!" said Remus, trying to hush his friend.

"Sorry," she whispered, looking around the common room. Lily had only been privy to Remus' secret a few months but she had been so supportive when she had found out. She always came to visit Remus in the hospital wing, bringing his favourite Honeydukes sweets. The pair of them were curled up in the squashy armchairs by the fireplace.

" It's not going to work. Lots of people have tried it before," sighed Remus.

"Those people aren't Damocles! He's so talented! You really should read some of his research papers!"

"You sound like you're in love Lils," laughed Remus.

"If I were fifteen years older…"

"Don't let James hear you say that," chuckled Remus.

"C'mon, wouldn't it be amazing to have this potion?"

"It would take years to test and make anyway, even if he could manage it."

"I guess."

"You going to Slughorn's party thing?"

"Of course! Apparently there's going to be some famous potion makers that he wants me to meet!" exclaimed Lily.

"Lily vans: Potion practitioner of the future," announced Remus sarcastically.

Lily threw a cushion at Remus' face in response.

…

"Lily working late again?" asked Remus.

"Yeah. I wish she wouldn't, it's starting to get really unsafe to be wandering around, especially for a muggleborn," sighed James, shaking his head.

"She'll be fine Prongs. Death Eaters should be afraid of Lily Evans," said Sirius, flipping through a muggle magazine. He looked up to see a frown on Remus' face. "What? You clearly haven't been on the wrong side of her hexes."

Jams kept glancing down at his watch. It had been half an hour since Lily was meant to have returned home. Even Sirius had put down his magazine and begun glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece.

The door burst open. Lily ran through the room, utterly ignoring James.

"Remus!"

Jams frowned. Not even a hello.

"Lily! Where the hell have you been?"

"Not now James!" Lily pulled a small white envelope from the inside of her coat and handed it to Remus. Remus Lupin was printed on the front in bright green ink.

"Lily, what s it?" asked Rmus curiously.

"Open it!"

 _Dear Mr. Lupin,_

 _I am writing to invite you to take part in our trial run of the Wolfsbane potion. This potion, of my own invention, reduces the effect of Lycanthropy on a full moon. I have run several tests and all trials have been successful thus far. The trial would take place in my personal study in Devonshire on the weekend of the sixth of September. I await your reply by the twenty-fifth of august at the latest._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Damocles Rowle._

Remus stared at Lily in confusion.

"How...?"

"I pulled in a few favours. Damocles remembers me from Slughorn's party in seventh Year. I've been writing to him about my potion research."

"Uh, if one of you would like to explain to the rest of the group what exactly is going on, that would be great," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Uh, I guess I'm gonna be in the trials for the new werewolf potion," said Remus hesitantly.

…

"Okay Remus, last potion. The full moon is tonight so, we'll see if yours is a success story."

Remus nodded. Dr. Rowle handed over a goblet. The liquid was clear with a faint blue smoke pouring over the edges of the goblet. He drained the goblet and retched. The potion was foul.

"Well done," said Dr Rowle, patting Remus on the back.

"So, what happens now?" asked Remus nervously.

"Well, we'll take you downstairs into a secure facility, then, with a bit of luck, you'll transform, but not so painfully and you'll retain your own mental faculties."

"And if luck's not on our side?"

"Then you'll be in for a rough one," sighed Damocles. " Don't worry, strapping nineteen year old like you, you'll be fine," he continued cheerfully.

Remus was led down into the basement where he was enclosed in a large empty room that had only one small window.

"Ready?"

Remus nodded in response, not trusting the words to come out of his mouth. He felt like he was going to throw up, and it wasn't from the potion. He could already feel the pull of the moon as he always did before a transformation. Dr. Rowle left the room and performed a series of spells that would keep Remus from getting out.

Remus sat against the wall. His head began to pound and he felt his muscles ache as the moon rose. H prepared himself for the onslaught of pain his body was about to go through. His muscles strained and his bones began to change shape, burning and tearing his insides. He collapsed onto his hands and knees, breathing heavily. His nails began to grow and pain seared through his gums as his teeth elongated. He felt the fur grow through his skin. It was a strange sensation that he had never consciously felt before His mind was usually too far-gone in the transformation by that point. The pain always lasted for what felt like hours. This pain quickly subsided. Remus looked down and saw paws where his hands had been. He padded around the room to try and move his limbs in a way that was completely foreign to his human instincts. Suddenly, a voice filled the room.

"Remus! If you can consciously hear me, I would like you to please respond with two short howls."

Remus complied.

"Are you in complete control?"

Remus howled twice.

Dr. Rowle watched as the wolf leaped in the air, clearly elated by the success of the potion.

In the morning, Dr. Rowle and his assistants came in to provide Remus with breakfast and bandage some of his minor injuries from transforming.

" Well Remus, how do you feel?"

"Wonderful! Thank you so much, Dr. Rowle."

"I cannot wait to present my potion to the world! I can help so many people," exclaimed Dr. Rowle, beaming.

"My life will never be the same hell it was every month, that's for certain."


End file.
